How Pentecost Helps Me to Be Different

Seven weeks after Easter, on May 28 this year, most Nazarenes in our 164 world areas will celebrate Pentecost Sunday. We will remember Christ’s promise to be with us “always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). We will also remember the early believers who gathered in an upper room being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).

How are Discipleship and Pentecost Related?

The concept of disciple was established in New Testament times when it was common to be a disciple of a teacher/disciple maker. The responsibility of disciples is to follow and obey the teachings of their teachers, who transmit their teachings by first embodying them in their own lives. The disciples feel a deep respect for their teachers and obeyed them in everything. Pentecost is important to discipleship because it enables the objective of discipleship – to be like Christ.

What Does Jesus Christ Expect of His Disciples?

Jesus gave Himself completely to the ministry of the Kingdom of God, to the gospel of salvation, and He expects no less from His followers. To be His disciples, Jesus asks us to bear much fruit (John 15:8), and this fruit fulfills two purposes. First, our own life must be holy and pleasing to God. Second, consequently, we will be the means for the glory of God to be manifested and to impact other people. We also become disciple makers.

What happened on the Day of Pentecost?

“When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you. All that my Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit will take what I give him and tell it to you”  (John 16:7-15, Good News Bible).

We celebrate Pentecost as “the day the Holy Spirit was given to the Church.” Acts relates this: “When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place…They were all filled with the Holy Spirit…Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd…this is what the prophet Joel spoke about…‘Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message…’What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us” (see Acts 2:1-33). Think about the difference this baptism with the Holy Spirit made in Peter’s life.

Jesus Desires All of Us to Be His Disciples and to Be Disciple Makers

As we celebrate this Pentecost Sunday, let’s ask God to help us grow as His followers. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to someone who can disciple you. Find someone mature in faith to accompany you in the process through prayer and study of the Word of God. Start looking for that person with whom you would like to share your doubts, burdens, desires, and wishes. Perhaps God is calling you to be a disciple maker. Find a younger believer who can trust you to share what the two of you are living, someone to pray with and share your walk with Christ.

I would very much like to hear about your journey as a disciple and disciple maker. Please contact me at dstanton@nazarene.org

discipleship – some aspects of this article are borrowed from the NDI Click discipleship resources for youth and young adults.

Pentecost – some thoughts in this article originate in A Dictionary of the Bible & Christian Doctrine in Everyday English.